If you have missing teeth due to decay, injury, or some other reason, you may be experiencing adverse effects on your appearance and health. An incomplete smile can make you feel self-conscious about how you look and may hold you back from reaching your full potential in life situations.
It’s essential to know how missing teeth affect you and how to eliminate the negative consequences.
Loss of Functionality
Your teeth play an essential role in everyday tasks such as eating and talking. Chewing is an essential part of consuming your favorite foods, allowing you to fully enjoy them and receive their nutritional value. They also help you form words so you can speak clearly during conversations with others.
Since dental implants are inserted directly into your jaw, they take on the role of your natural teeth. They’re strong, stable, and durable, so they’ll restore the normal functions listed above.
Increase Risk of Oral Infection
When you’re missing one or more teeth, your oral health becomes more vulnerable. The gaps between your teeth expose your gums, and this can lead to decay or disease. Since the crowns of your teeth cover your gums and protect them from bacteria, leaving them exposed can cause bacteria to settle in and create gum disease.
To protect your oral health, Dr. Adam Kruger will place dental implants in these gaps. This will help block out bacteria, helping you maintain good oral health.
Weakened Jawbone
Your jaw contains a specific amount of teeth to support it and keep it healthy. Gaps due to missing teeth cause your jaw to become uneven and lose density. This can cause your existing teeth to shift and even become loose.
Dental implants consist of an implant fixture that is attached to your jaw to act as a root for your porcelain crown. It stimulates the jawbone and creates growth.
Premature Aging
Over time, missing teeth can add multiple years to your appearance, too. Your cheeks take on the shape of your jawbone, meaning missing teeth can cause your skin to sag and conform to the gaps. This may result in premature wrinkles primarily around your mouth.
Receiving dental implants will create a full jaw and fill in your cheeks, making it look as if you had a facelift. Your beautiful smile can give you a more youthful appearance as well.
Reduced Self-confidence
Do you ever hide your teeth in social situations due to the appearance of your smile? Missing teeth can cause you to smile less or attend fewer social events. They can also negatively affect your confidence in your relationships and your career.
If you’re embarrassed by the look of your teeth, dental implants can boost your self-confidence and allow you to maintain and create more relationships.
Increased Likelihood of Pain
Sometimes extremely hot or cold substances cause sensitivity in your mouth. This is because of the multiple nerves that are located in your gums. Typically, your teeth protect your gums from the pain-causing substance, resulting in less pain. However, gaps in your smile will expose your gums, leaving your mouth more susceptible to pain.
Dental implants will protect your nerves, minimalizing the risk of experiencing facial pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don’t replace my missing teeth?
Having a complete smile plays an important role, both in maintaining your mouth’s structure and promoting good oral health. If left untreated, missing teeth can cause changes in your smile that can leave it vulnerable to further complications such as jawbone deterioration, gum disease, and shifts in your bite. That’s why it’s important to fill in these gaps as soon as possible with one of our restorative procedures.
Do missing teeth impact the rest of my smile?
Gaps caused by missing teeth can have a negative impact on your overall smile if not treated as soon as possible. Since your teeth rely on each other to help stay in place, having spaces in your mouth can cause them to slowly shift and cause misalignment issues with your bite. Missing teeth can also leave room for bacteria to grow along your gum line, potentially causing infection that can leave the rest of your smile at risk.
Can missing teeth affect my face?
Missing teeth can negatively affect your face on top of causing problems with your smile. For example, if your teeth shift due to gaps in your mouth, this can create a misalignment in your arches that may be visible based on the shape of your face. Without proper support, missing teeth can also cause your skin to sag, which can cause wrinkles to develop prematurely.
How can I replace my missing teeth?
At Oelwein Dental Associates, Dr. Kruger and our team offer a variety of restorative dental procedures to replace missing teeth and help complete your smile. Depending on your oral health and the details of your specific case, your dentist may recommend dental implants for single-tooth restorations or overdentures if you’re missing multiple teeth. We suggest that you first schedule an initial consultation so that your dentist can determine which procedure is right for you.
Contact Dr. Adam Kruger to Improve Your Oral Health
If you’re worried about the negative effects of missing teeth on your health, contact our Oelwein office at (319) 283-4222 or our West Union office at (563) 422-6292 to schedule a consultation.
Dr. Adam Kruger will evaluate your teeth and determine which dental implant solution will best restore your oral health and improve your appearance.